Meeting Agni
by Princesa andrmeda
Summary: Soma didn't expect Agni to become so important in his life. (Modern!AU)(Reincarnations)(Soma/Agni)(Unrequited Soma/Meena)(5/7)
1. Meeting Agni

I've had this idea for quite some time. And I had been thinking of turning it into a one-shot but it would be really long and quite tedious for me. I really won't promise anything, since I lose interest in a story quite quickly unless I'm up all night working on a new chapter until I finish it. But I'll try.

This fanfiction goes to my roleplay partner. ¡Eres la mejor Agni de todas!

Anyway, enjoy Soma/Agni shenanigans, thanks for the support shown so far for this pairing! :D

* * *

Tea and scones certainly sounded like a great idea when Ciel proposed it nonchalantly, saying that "it's tea time, anyway, and you could use some relaxation from college assignments."

They entered a small coffee shop, indie rock and muffled conversations in the simplistic décor, Ciel walked with his usual suaveness and asked one of the waiters for 'you already know what,' whatever that was. Soma just sat in front of his friend, shuffling a little to get out a 'can I wait a little more to order?' at the expectant waiter, a guy, who seemed around their age, nodded and walked somewhere else to fulfil his duties.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Soma shifted his gaze from the bird flying outside the window to his friend, Ciel was waiting for his tea to arrive, a newspaper in his lap. The Indian chuckled a little under his breath, little Ciel looked like an adult sitting so regal in a chair that looked way too small for that. "Something funny, Kadar?" He shook his head, trying not to infuriate the boy.

"Not really, it's just that you look way too adult with that thing on," he glanced at the menu and wondered if he should go for herbal this time. "Maybe have a conversation with me like the high schooler you are?" Soma, with practice, patience and lots of cheerfulness, became an expert at resisting the furious glares from the youngest Phantomhive, who was at this very moment contemplating whether to commit premeditated murder was a good idea or not, that smile was truly infuriating.

He closed the newspaper and huffed, now looking younger than the seventeen-year-old he actually was, even younger thanks to his soft features. "I am not an amusement," he declared, trying to seem elegantly annoyed, "and by the way you used the term 'high schooler' in that sentence, it seems like an insult or something really amusing."

Soma didn't bother stifling a laugh, he was having fun and his friend knew it was all friendly banter, as the glare melted slowly into a neutral frown and a small smile. After a couple of minutes in comfortable silence, the waiter came back to finally collect his order, to which Soma answered 'chai would be wonderful!'

Ciel didn't wait for Soma to receive his order as the Earl Grey with scones had arrived, but he wasn't really bothered by this, it was his own fault he had taken so long to order, figures he just had to wait until his own order arrived.

"Sebastian, what a pleasure to meet you here." Soma frowned upon hearing the strange name roll from his friend's mouth, he looked away from the window to stare at a person who was all black: a black tee with black leggings, with some pitch-black sneakers and pitch-black hair, all accentuated by his milky skin and red eyes. At first glance, Soma couldn't help but feel wary of the guy, as his grin made him feel inferior.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ciel." Expressed the man, dragging along another person, this person Soma felt more at ease with. He had dark skin, just like him, and also wore typical Hindi clothes (take that, little Ciel! He's not the only weirdo now who does that), had white hair and a gentle expression to his face. Soma couldn't help staring. "Well, won't you introduce us to one another?"

Ciel huffed, but obliged nonetheless. "This person right here is Soma Asman Kadar, self-proclaimed prince of Bengali." Said boy got startled when he heard his name, coming from someone else's mouth, for he had been staring at the person accompanying Sebastian. He noticed a small frown upon hearing his name and maybe a glint of recognition. His name wasn't all over the news in England, was it?

"That's me," Soma answered sheepishly, maybe telling little Ciel of his title had been a bad idea after all, since it seemed to make their yet-to-be-introduced companion uncomfortable.

"Well, this old soul is Agni." Agni bowed. "He comes from India."

"You do?" Soma was eager to talk to someone about his culture! "Where from?" The man seemed to be trying to make himself inconspicuous, failing miserably at that, by the way.

"The same place where your friend says you are prince." Soma tried not to flinch at that, what a cocky acquaintance little Ciel seems to have. Nonetheless, he tried to keep himself cheery for the sake of his friend and the new person who he knew next to nothing about except that they came from the same place.

"Oh, so you lived in Bengali?" The waiter finally arrived with his chai and Soma wasted no second to drink it, all the more to have a distraction from the strange man who seemed to hate him. Agni seemed to be having a bad time deciding what to do with himself, he looked at Ciel then at Sebastian, as if asking permission to sit with them. Soma chuckled, as if sensing his distress and patted the seat beside him. The other man obliged.

"Y-yeah," he answered, a little forced for it to pass up as casual, and the inquisitive looks on his friend and his acquaintance were not doing him any favours.

"What did you like the best of India?" Agni gaped a little as that was a rather personal question and he was sure the boy _did not_ want the answer to that. So he tried glancing at Sebastian, who seemed otherwise occupied humouring the small raven-haired boy.

He shrugged. "The food, I guess." He hoped that sufficed.

Dear lord, Soma was just getting started on small talk.

Strangely enough, Agni didn't feel slightly bored. Not a single second.

* * *

"Do you mind if I smoke?" Soma blinked once, twice, confused by the question, and more confused once he processed what it meant. It had been quite a while since their conversation topics wandered astray to India-related topics, though Soma couldn't quite pinpoint the reason as to why that didn't bother him.

"Wait, you smoke? I didn't see you as the smoker type," he mentioned, staring inconspicuously at the cigarette box. Agni shrugged and looked away, a little embarrassed by the choice of words.

"Well, I was… a wild one, in my youth. I had all sorts of vices, smoking is the one that has stayed the most," he answered, trying his best to portray his thoughts without making them seem as dark as they actually were. He took a small white stick from the box and brought it close to his lips, then he placed the lighter near the cigarette and gave a small questioning look towards the boy. "Uh, can I?" He asked, a little awkward since he already had the cigarette in his mouth and he would feel way more awkward if Soma had any trouble with it. The green eyed male shook his head a little, apparently awaken from his stupor and made some gestures to his companionship.

"Of course, please suit yourself." He smiled at him, and leaned into his seat to stare at the window. People were milling about, and some hairs perked up by the subtle smell of tobacco that quickly reached his nostrils. He glanced back at Agni, and he stared entranced at the way his lips held the cigarette for a second, breathed in the tobacco and nicotine, then breathed it out through the nose. The older man became aware of the gaze on him, and grew uncomfortable rather quickly.

"Uh, is something the matter?" Only then Soma noticed he was staring, and he felt his cheeks flare up with embarrassment over the fact that he had been discovered.

"N-nothing at all!" He got out, hoping it didn't sound like a squeak, then he glanced up at the other man, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. "I was just uh, wondering if I could perhaps try that?"

Agni frowned. Then looked at the cigarette. "This? Smoking, you mean?" Soma scratched his cheek, way too awkward…

"Yeah," he tried to shrug it off, after all, it wasn't that much of a deal, now was it?

The older man still looked unsure. As an addict, he knew the risks of trying a drug, no matter if it is only 'to try' as Soma claimed to. He felt extremely conflicted about it.

"Or… I could, you know, not…?" Soma shrugged again and made himself smaller in self-humiliation. He looked to the other booth, looking for his friend to make things less awkward between them and he noticed… they were gone!

"They ditched us!" He declared indignant, not like Agni was bad company or anything of the sorts (quite contrary, actually) but it was simply rude to leave your friend without telling them!

"It would seem so." His companion didn't seem half as upset over it, and Soma couldn't help but feel somewhat embarrassed over that fact. It motivated him to compose himself. "I'll pay the bill, if you want me to." Aaaaand here comes guilt. Why was this man being so nice?

"Y-you don't have to!" He explained whilst making frantic signs with his hands. "Only little Ciel and I ate, so none of the bill is yours!" He had more than enough money from his parent's allowance to pay for these kind of things, it would be so shameful to make someone else pay for him.

Agni seemed doubtful of that, but let him be, nonetheless. "At least let me accompany you to your dormitory, I'm quite sure those things have curfews of some sorts."

Soma shrugged that off. "They do, but I don't have to be there in the next couple of hours, so I guess we could hang out, to make up for our friend ditching us?" Agni smiled down at him.

"I guess we could."

* * *

He arrived at his dorm a few minutes before curfew, a slight bounce to his step and humming happily to a lullaby he picked up on the way. He fidgeted a little with the lock but managed to enter, so inside his reverie he didn't notice his dorm mate until he was almost crashing with him. "Edward! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

His friend just chuckled and waved his worry off. "I'm fine, don't you see? You just startled me, where had you gone?" He stepped back and crossed his arms, shaking his head at it all. "I called Ciel and he told me you went on a date with someone."

"Date?" Soma frowned, trying to remember if he had done anything remotely romantic with anyone. When he didn't remember anything he just said where he had gone off to. "I was hanging out with Agni, that's all."

"Who's Agni?" Well, the name certainly was new.

"Oh, he is the friend of little Ciel's strange acquaintance. He also comes from India, so I guess we got along well." He shrugged and walked to his bed, laying down and closing his eyes for a moment.

"And that's where you spent the whole day?"

Soma felt a little suspicious that his friend was asking so many questions. "Yeah. I invited him to hang out with together after Ciel and his acquaintance ditched us at the coffee shop." Edward certainly wasn't impressed by that behaviour from his cousin.

"Well, I'm glad you made a new friend (I guess)."

"Me too."

Meeting Agni had been an interesting experience, even though he didn't know the man that much, he had felt comfortable in his presence rather quickly. Which wasn't that weird for his standards, but just… only with Ciel and his family had he felt that sensation of familiarity. Of knowing him through all his life…

He decided not to dwell anymore on it and go to sleep.

* * *

I'm sorry it was quite short, but since the name of this chapter is "Meeting Agni" I couldn't include much more, besides, this was more like a prologue. The length of the chapter will vary, I think. I'll try to update this week if possible, this idea has been around since April, I can't let it root!

Matane!


	2. Befriending Agni

It had been a couple of days after the coffee shop incident, and even though neither Ciel nor Sebastian had made an attempt to apologize to Soma or Agni, they weren't going to hold it against them. After all, in some way or another, it had also been their fault for losing track for time, right? (" _Kadar, you are so gullible."_ )

The thing was, on Thursdays he always was on the search for something beautiful. The really expensive chocolates on the Patisserie down the street, the handmade stuffed Tiger on the toy shop, silken clothes from a renowned fashion shop…, all for one person in particular: Mina. (aka: the woman Soma was obsessively in love with.)

This time, the object of his pursue was flowers. He had heard from little Ciel that in ancient times people communicated their feelings in flowers. Be it the desire of friendship/acquaintance, an opinion towards a certain topic and even a wedding proposition.

With the latter thought in mind, Soma entered a green building with an elegant sign that read " **花言葉** **: Flower shop** ", looking everywhere for someone that could probably show him what he was looking for.

"Welcome to _Hanakotoba_ , is there anything I can help you with?" Soma turned around to stare at a brunette man, with a gentle face and a character as passive as the country of origin of the shop's name.

"Yeah, uh," he raised his neck to read at the name tag, "Alan," he tried, and after a small nod he decided to continue his self-imposed mission. "You see, I came here on the recommendation of a friend, he told me this place was really good with flowers."

"Of course sir, what kind are you looking for?" Alan moved closer to Soma, his expression the same as when he had entered. Soma placed a finger on his chin, pondering on his decision for a moment.

"You see, there is a woman I love."

"Uh-huh."

"And she is a bit older than me."

"Uh-huh."

"Is there any flower that can symbolize that I'll wait 'till the time is right for our love to flourish?"

Alan blinked a couple of times, trying to remember which would be appropriate. Then nodded.

"If you would please follow me, Mr….?"

"Oh! Soma is good."

* * *

Soma entered the place and waited where they had told him to, the flower arrangement he had bought rested in his lap and his hands fidgeted a little with it. Admittedly he was getting a little ansty. Normally Mina was already in the reception, typing away her work while Soma did all the talking (though he didn't mind that, the few attention he got from the woman, he cherished a lot). But this time, he had been waiting for over an hour and still no sight of her. Did something happen to her and no one told him? For Shiva! Please let it not be that?

"Is something wrong, Prince Soma?" He glanced up and met with the worried gaze of Agni, his mouth tried to fumble an answer but failed, only showing his astonishment over the title he used.

"I already told you I am no prince! Little Ciel was only making that up…" he managed to say in the end, the older man chuckled and Soma felt troubled by it. Was it funny? He didn't get the joke…

"I apologize, it was not my intention to insult you. _Old habits die hard, I guess..._ " Soma didn't really manage to catch the last phrase, as it was whispered.

"What was that?"

"Hmm?" He still had the gentle smile from the other time, and Soma couldn't quite pinpoint why it made him feel at ease. "Anyway, were you here looking for someone? You seemed pretty intent on waiting." Agni sat beside him at the bench, his body language seemed pretty familiar with him and he couldn't help but do the same.

"I was, indeed. Do you happen to be an acquaintance of Mina?" That was very likely, considering they worked in the same company. Would they also be friends?

Agni stiffed for a moment, there was some reluctance and cautiousness in his next actions that Soma didn't seem to notice. "Yes, Miss Mina is quite known here for being a hard worker. I assume you are the admirer that comes here to leave her tokens of your affections?" To Agni's ears, that phrase sounded pretty hollow, but he couldn't help himself, as lying did that to you. (Well, to be technical, he was only keeping some of the truth to himself, he had not lied yet.)

"I see. She has always worked hard." His eyes took on a dreamy look, and, as if sensing something should be done, Agni got up from the bench and offered a friendly hand to the younger male.

"You can leave those flowers on her desk, she will be stuck in the meeting for a couple more hours." Soma frowned.

"I can wait."

"Do you not have classes tomorrow? Or what about curfew?" If he knew the elder Indian better, he'd say he was making up excuses to not let him see Mina. But so far, Agni seemed like a reliable man, so he would not suspect of him.

"I can manage them." He shrugged. "Being absent once in a while isn't so bad." Agni tried to think of something better, he had to take out the young man before the bad feeling in his chest proved to be true.

"Then how about I treat you something? I bet you haven't eaten yet, and waiting for Miss Mina to exit her meeting will take too long." He straightened up. "You can leave the flowers in my office and deliver them to her later."

Soma stared at the bunch of flowers, then at Agni's hand, and decided that that offer was worth a shot.

"Okay, let's go."

* * *

When they arrived the restaurant, Soma couldn't help but gape. It had been such a long time since he had the delight to smell the many spices used in Indian dishes, and from how delicious it was, he was almost drooling.

"This place is fantastic!" He exclaimed as they sat, marvelled with how colourful and so-like-his-home everything was. Agni smiled to him as he, too, took his seat in front of the college student.

"I'm glad you like it so, and yes, this place is quite nice." Soma nodded and continued to stare at the restaurant.

"It's been so long since I've eaten Indian food, most of the time I have to order take-outs from McDonald's or something because I have so little time. And the few Indian restaurants I've been in here lack spices…"

"Well, I'm a frequent customer, and trust me when I say that this restaurant is quite good."

Not much time passed before a waiter came to fetch their orders, Agni wanted to eat rogan josh while Soma preferred Chole. Both meals accompanied with mango lassi.

"If I may, Prince Soma…"

"Why do you keep calling me 'Prince'?" This time around, he didn't seem quite upset over it, so Agni decided it was safe to tell him.

"Well, that's what your friend said you were, is it not?" He gave a small chuckle, "besides, you do resemble an actual prince. Since you still wear your native clothes, the way you talk, and your manners resemble royalty." Soma leaned on the table and kept staring outside.

"I see…" Agni thanked the person that brought their drinks and sipped a little on his lassi.

"May I ask what is it that brought Miss Mina to your attention?" He knew his workmate was quite the looker, and many other male workers fancied her for her dark skin, her raven, straight hair and her foreign accent. But he was quite curious as to what made the prince Soma seek after her affections.

Soma just chugged a little on his lassi before thinking of a suitable answer. "You see, when I was very little a person got inside the house and attempted for my life, and since they couldn't really stay with me all the time because of their works, they hired a nanny to take care of me.

"Said nanny was Mina." He stopped a little as their food arrived, staring quite intently at his chole and already grabbing a poori with his right hand. But before taking the first bite, he decided to continue his story. "She was entering college at the time, I believe, and had some knowledge in martial arts." He bit the poori and sighed in contentment, it had been so long! He was really grateful that Agni had brought him here, so that even if it was a northern dish, it was still as good as if he tried some curry from Bengali.

"And what does she think of you?" Agni was also eating his meal, small, careful bites for the lamb.

Soma thought his answer for a couple of minutes, then cheered and gulped before saying, "I'm sure she loves me as I do her. She has expressed her affections towards me on a couple of times and I'm sure she's only waiting until I'm of age." He ate another poori and, as a thought occurred to him, his expression darkened somewhat. "But that man, some _Harold West,_ he keeps poor Mina trapped in that office from dawn to dusk." He sighed again, the disdain in his voice turning to sadness in a little. "I'm afraid most of the time that she'll make herself sick from overwork or something."

Agni didn't quite agree as he sipped his lassi.

* * *

Agni glanced around the small crowd of youngsters in the entrance of the hall. He was told to stay put by his boss until he came to pick him up, and half an hour had already passed. He might have a lot of patience, but it could wear thin if a person didn't play fair.

He frowned when he thought he recognized someone, but, it surely couldn't be, right? Just to be sure…

"Prince Soma?" the young adult snapped his head towards Agni, surprised as he was by such a coincidental meeting.

"Agni? What are you doing here?" He tilted his head, the one his hair was styled towards to, and wore an equal frown to his. "I didn't think you would be a fan of Placebo…"

"Neither did I…" he tried not to stare at the outfit Soma was wearing, because while Agni decided to wear his usual, trusty sherwani, Soma went with the whole boyband attire. He even had a piercing in his navel!

Soma got a little uncomfortable. "Well? Shall we enter? If we don't hurry, we won't be allowed in." He nodded towards the door, not wanting to miss any songs. Agni obliged.

They gave their tickets to the people in staff, and walked towards their places in the concert. Chatting a little as the opening act arrived. They could barely hear each other amidst the crowd and the rumples of music, but it was still good enough to keep the conversation going.

"No offense, but I thought you would be the kind to listen to traditional Hindi music…" the guest band had already left the stage and Brian Molko had taken over, much to the delight of the fans.

Agni laughed. "No offense taken, and to be honest, I'm not especially picky about music, so I like both traditional Hindi music, and English modern music."

Heat was starting to arise from so much yelling, and jumping, and generally moving around, bringing flush to Soma's cheeks and small beads of sweat to his forehead. Agni didn't move as much, but the heat from the people surrounding him was enough.

Soma raised his gaze a little more, wishing to stare better at the band on the stage. Instead, what he saw left him numb. The sweet feeling of nothing was quickly replaced by dread.

In a couple of rows in front of them was Mina. Making out with Harold West without a care in the world to Placebo's "Soulmates."

He didn't have to wonder much to know that's how a broken heart felt like.

* * *

I did some basic research for the dishes, and I know they're from the northern region of India whereas Bengali was an eastern region (please don't sue me for it, but I really liked how those dishes sounded like…)

Rogan josh is a "red lamb" curry, this because of the dried chili they use on it. According to internet, it was brought by the Mongols and Brahmins didn't like it (?). Chole or Chickpea curry, as its name suggests it, is a kind of curry, but a northern one. It is served with poori/bhatura (Indian bread). And lassi (if I remember correctly) is some kind of drink made out of yogurt. Best served cold. *Thumbs up*

Sorry for taking so long, but rest assured knowing that most of the story _is_ planned. I hope the rest comes out rather smoothly.

Matane!


	3. Bonding with Agni

"Mina?" It was a small whisper amidst the huge, deafening crowd. Yet, incredibly so, the person it was directed at had been perfectly capable of hearing it. Or maybe she and her beloved had turned around prompted by the unnerving feeling of being watched. Either way, Mrs. West could not contain a gasp at the horrified expression of Soma. Did she really feel guilty as her face hinted or was that just surprise?

Agni grew considerably uncomfortable, as did his boss if him changing his footing was anything to go by. They both felt dread settle in their stomachs, though for different reasons each.

"I thought…" he felt devastated, and he had no qualms letting it show on his face; his unfocused eyes, the gaping mouth, the tears already prickling, "that maybe you…" he could not bring himself to complete the phrase it was too painful to say her heart had been won by another.

Mina's face was rapidly changing. Her frown being taken over by a disbelieving face, and maybe the ' _are you an idiot?'_ that got out of her mouth wasn't meant to sound as harsh, but it did. And so did the ranting that followed. "Did you really think I cared for you in that way? I was your babysitter because your parents paid good money for me to do it and I was studying college at the time," her face was absolutely flaming with rage, and Soma seemed as loss as to what to make of it. Should he… answer? "Besides, I'm a grown woman, I can choose what I want for myself. And a bratty child has no say in it." Her brown eyes were slightly glassy, which made the situation all the more awkward. It was difficult to decide whether rage or some kind of sadness had taken over her facial expression, but Soma knew that whatever it was, it meant he was no longer welcome in her life.

Something in him, a part he not always listened to, told him that retreating was the wisest way to go about it. He suddenly felt so tired and didn't want to deal with all this.

"…I see. I'm sorry," he muttered, eyes now locked with the concrete ground. He was being closely watched by some people nearby and he felt shame wash through him, "we were together all that time, but I never bothered to acknowledge nor try to understand your feelings at all." _I just assumed that maybe love was something you grew into._ He lifted his gaze, and there was still some hurt on it, but it didn't hinder the radiance of his smiling mouth. "I promise I will become a man you can think of in that way, be proud of. Even if you don't want it," _I want to prove myself, not just to you, Mina, but to myself as well. The scolding words from little Ciel the other day, and your not-so-gentle rejection. I hope I can change for the better. Ah, Agni looks about to cry, did he… somehow know this was going to happen? I guess that, since he was a little closer to Mina than I was, he could foresee it._ He bit the inside of his cheek and looked around; with a sigh, he started to make his way through the crowd and towards the entrance. Trying his utmost to ignore the curious glances thrown his way.

"Prince! Wait!" It had taken a couple of seconds for Agni to wake from his stupor, his eyes couldn't take the sight of the younger walking away, and so his legs tried to make up for the slowness of his brain. He caught up easily, but stopped a couple of feet away. His hand lifted dubious, not knowing if raising it towards him was all that much of a good idea. He wanted to comfort Soma, he didn't want to see him cry.

Soma stopped at the sound of his voice and turned around a little, his expression seemed normal enough, it was lacking sadness. But his eyes were also lacking his usual cheerfulness. As if he had numbed his emotions on purpose; and Agni felt his hand waver again at the sight of a void prince.

"I'll be alright," was his monotone answer, a small curve on his lips trying to be reassuring. "It's not like it's your duty to worry about me or anything," he shrugged, and his eyes became glassy on the slightest. "Just… I'll go and sleep or something." He proceeded to walk again. Agni went to follow him, ignoring the calling from his boss.

"But it's dark outside! Let me drive you to your dorm," he was perfectly aware that Soma was capable of getting a cab, walking to his place, or even going in the bus. But he couldn't help worry, the bad feeling inside him still refused to go.

Soma shrugged again and let out a puff of air, looking at anywhere but Agni. "Since I finished finals last week, I can pretty much arrive whenever until next term." He began to walk again, but didn't resist the hand that held his. He felt so very tired… yeah, the stinging in his eyes was because he had stayed up until late last night. So maybe… maybe accepting a ride wasn't so bad. Maybe…

"I still think it is not a good idea to wander around…" Soma nodded and grabbed Agni's sleeve, not daring to look up. "Let's go home."

* * *

"Thanks for the ride," his face still felt really tired, so he couldn't offer a smile nor bring himself to apologize for all the trouble.

"It was no problem," Agni assured, waiting for Soma to say goodbye. "Will you be alright?" He had to make sure, or the pang in his chest for leaving the young adult to his bearings would not stop stinging.

"Yeah, you can go back to your house. Have a cup of tea, relax." His words were dragged along a sigh, "I'll just… head there and sleep. See you around?" Soma knew he wouldn't really feel up to it _next time,_ but at least it would stop the older male from worrying.

Agni nodded, opening the door to exit the car. "I think you have my phone number, so you can give me a call if you need anything." He ignited the car before looking once more at Soma, he opened his mouth to talk and shut it, not trusting his mouth to deliver the correct message. "I'll get going now." He then drove away from the campus entrance.

* * *

Once on the dorm, Soma laid on his bed, and sure that no-one was able to see him, let the tears flow freely across his face.

* * *

He didn't listen much when Edward awoke the next morning to hurry him into breakfast. Or when he said they should hang out in the mall and have brunch. Or that a shower would lift his mood. Or anything, actually.

Midford, worried, did the first thing on his mind and called his cousin. They might have many differences and lots of brawls, but on the important things they could agree.

"Yes, Edward?" Was the sleepy response from the high-schooler. Edward frowned given it was a couple of hours into the afternoon, had Ciel been doing something else before he called? He decided to brush it off and pass onto the important thing.

"Phantomhive! You see, um, do you happen to know what happened to Soma last night? He said he was going to some concert and right now he seems extremely down." He looked over his shoulder, worried about his friend, who was still an unmoving bundle in his quilt. Ciel, on the other side of the line, sighed.

"I do not happen to know whatever mess he got himself into. However, if it puts your mind at rest I can come over to check on him. How does half an hour sound?"

"Yeah. I'll try to keep him alive in the meantime."

"Then I better be on my way." Then Ciel hung up.

"If you can…" Edward sighed too and muttered under his breath, "he's lucky we're on break, otherwise the teachers wouldn't forgive him for missing classes…"

* * *

"Hey, Kadar."

"Hmm?" Ciel raised an eyebrow, unimpressed at his friend's behaviour but clearly exasperated with him.

"Are you not going to do something today?" He tried not to sound passive-aggressive (or aggressive at all, for that matter), but the indifference was a must.

"What for?" His voice was muffled in the quilt, and he sounded pretty tired, come to think of it. "I'm on vacation. I can be dead until next term starts."

Ciel took a seat beside him on the bed, a tired look and another sigh to his mannerisms. "And what, pray tell, has killed you?" He didn't even so much as flinch when a small sob was heard underneath the layers of cloth.

"Mina has!" Soma exclaimed before going back to sulking. He didn't even seem to breathe.

"And do you plan to stop being a cry baby anytime soon? Because, if I may remind you, you are pretty much an adult; you have responsibilities to deal with, you have a life, and you sulking will not make that woman love you back." Ciel was very aware of what had happened. Being the son of a businessman himself, he knew from not so long ago that the woman Soma sought after was already wife to another. His most likely guess was that the discovering of such fact was what triggered his friend's mood.

"If she shall not love me, then I would rather die!" Of course he did not mean those words, but a broken heart can put some really shady perspective.

Ciel rolled his eyes and stood up, "do whatever suits you best." And gave up on trying to cheer him up.

* * *

"Are you feeling quite alright? You have barely touched the shortcake you ordered." Ciel looked away from the window to stare at Sebastian. The man had just arrived and he already knew Ciel felt upset about something. He eyed the man curiously, wondering if he was sensible enough to cheer Soma from the dead-of-love. Might as well ask for advice.

"You remember Soma, right?"

"The prince of Bengali? Why of course." Ciel rolled his eyes, annoyed at his antics.

"Well, he discovered that the woman he loved was already married to her boss. And he has been sulking for the last week." Sebastian sat in front of Ciel, listening attentively to what the younger had to say. To be quite frank, Michaelis had little to no interest in such a brat, but it was fun to humour his friend nonetheless. And so he listened and tried to come up with a solution for his dilemma.

"I don't know what your thoughts on the subject are, but I think my dear friend Agni is more suited to this whole cheering-a-moping-young-adult thing, don't you agree?"

Ciel sipped his earl grey and offered a faint nod, "certainly."

* * *

And so Agni had been called by Ciel to help him take care of Soma, because he was a 'huge baby that is making a mess of himself with no effort to move on.'

Agni stood out of the campus centre now quite knowing that to make of himself. Should he… ask someone where Soma was? It would seem rather suspicious, as he was an adult, and wasn't really enrolled into college. (But he could always say they were relatives. They were both from Bengali, so their accent was not all that different; and if anyone asked about his hair, he could say it was a genetic defect.)

Just then he received a text from Ciel with instructions. " _The boy's dorm is to the left. His room is number 38. Just tell the prefect you're there to check on Kadar and they'll let you in."_

Might as well get going.

* * *

"Uh, Prince Soma? Are you in here?"

The only reason Soma unrolled himself out of his quilt, was utter shock. Did he… hear right? Had Agni… gone out of his way just to cheer him up? He stared gaping at the man, who was peeking from the door, trying to decide whether it was appropriate to enter or not. After a couple of seconds, he decided to risk it. Soma stopped gawking and shook his head.

"Y-yeah, come in." He sat up, still wrapped and tried to somehow hide himself away in shame. He still wasn't feeling up to talking to people. Granted, he did eat sometimes, and did something other than sulk. Turns out his mind was a great place to reflect things in.

A part of him felt really bad, his friends had been really worried about him, and the fact that even _Agni,_ who he didn't know him all that well yet, had come to check up on him, was an indicator that something was wrong. It was hard to ignore the pang of guilt in his chest as Agni strode inside his room.

"Hey," he greeted, keeping his hands behind his back, somewhat of a bag hanging from them. "I heard from your friends you were feeling a little down and thought I might stop by."

Ah, so little Ciel had told him. He didn't bother denying it nor confirming it, Agni would know if he was lying and he already knew the full story anyway, so yeah. He wrapped himself further into the quilt and looked elsewhere.

"Thanks," I appreciate that. His mouth was still too heavy to form the full sentence, and hoped his companion would get the message. He made a movement as if to lie down again but felt Agni's hand stopping his head from touching the pillow, he stared at him questioningly through a frown.

"I'm afraid I must ask you not to lie down. You have done much of that as of late; how does it sound that you take a bath while I make something to eat?" Soma nodded, and reluctant, he got up from his bed. And dragged the quilt along with him. Agni sighed a little under his breath and set the stuff he brought from his flat on the table. Lots of spices lined up among other ingredients. He placed the canned fire in the centre and once the flame was lit up, the support and the pan.

He sure hoped Prince Soma liked home-made curry.

* * *

Soma exited the bathroom to the smell of many spices and tender meat, his eyes widened with awe and stared at Agni, who was already serving their eating portions.

"I hope you're feeling up to some curry, I heard you haven't been feeding yourself as you should. So I thought that maybe something home-made was very nutritious, and I could prepare some." He reached Soma the plate, who took it still in shock.

"Y-yeah," he sat and took some poori to eat the curry with, not minding the small droplets of water dripping from his hair onto his back. "Thanks for the food," ha gave Agni a small smile, and started eating.

* * *

To say Agni's curry was delicious would have been an understatement. To say Agni's curry seemed to be from the gods would have been more accurate.

And every time Soma wanted to point this out, Agni would deny it all and say that he felt 'incredibly flattered someone like Prince Soma thinks so highly of it,' then return to whatever task he had assigned himself.

Ah, that's right. Agni had been trying really hard to cheer him up, to the point where it seemed he lived in there more than he lived at his flat or being at work whatsoever. And Soma had made a couple of jokes about it.

"With all the time you spend here and all the things you do for me," (much to his embarrassment) "one would think you've become my servant." Agni stopped moving for a second and Soma thought he had somehow offended the gentle man, and just as he was about to apologize for what he said, Agni turned back to him with his trademark smile.

"They wouldn't be far from the truth, would they, Prince?" His heart leaped to his throat and he was at loss for words, he knew it wasn't because of the title, given he had used it so much he had no choice but getting used to it, but rather the intensity of his tender gaze and the cryptic meaning behind his phrase.

In the end, he had only managed to get out a 'yeah' and return to read his book about fauna in Africa. He reminded himself to gather the guts later and ask him what he had meant by that.

* * *

By the time the next term arrived, he was already hanging with his friends as per usual, and his thoughts didn't wander to Mina as they would. His chest swelled with pride at his accomplishments. But also at the thought it had been Agni who helped him out in the end.

* * *

I'm sorry about how long this took to come out. The only thing I can say about myself was that most of my time was spent playing computer games and being sucked by the black hole that is Tumblr. I have both good news and bad news.

The good news are that the two hardest chapters are pretty much already written (on my phone's notes, lol), so you won't have to wait too long on the cliffhanger with those.

The bad news are that I don't have a definite ending to this story and that I still need to work on the plot from chapter 5. I have a scene in mind that might suit for an ending but it's still a maybe.

Another bad news is that starting today, I'll be going to school (I'm actually heading there in an hour). So stories might be a little slower to come. This chapter was longer than the first two, so I hope that makes up for it. I'm still working on a few requests I have on my inbox, so I'll post those before working more on chapter 4. I don't think school will be all that hard, so I'll try to write as much as I can.

On the other hand, you can send me writing requests if you want, either through Tumblr or the comments section, those make me really happy and somagni needs more love, so ideas are appreciated.

Matane!


	4. Crushing on Agni

Soma squirmed a little in his seat, staring intently at his friend who was not at all worked up over their little card game.

Ciel had agreed to arrange an evening to spend time together, as Soma had spent most of his vacation sulking, and it was no surprise Phantomhive had the upper hand in the game. They had spent most of it talking about how the new term was and whatnot, and most of the talking in Soma's end fell astray to talks about how Agni was nice enough to pack him lunch, and that he wondered what he must be doing at the moment.

Ciel just picked another card and scoffed.

"So may I assume, from what you're telling me, that you have developed a —what do kids call it nowadays?— erm, 'crush' on Agni? Fish." Soma gave him a baffled look. And not because Ciel almost didn't have any cards left.

"What do you mean?"

Little Ciel took a sip from the tea he had brought there and huffed, as if personally offended by the fact that Soma couldn't realise it. He set the china cup down, gently, and stared at his cards before thinking of an answer. "Well, it's pretty obvious to me that after spending time alone with him, broken-hearted as you were, you developed romantic feelings towards Agni." He finished his statement with a scowl, intent on his cards, before it turned to a smirk.

Soma's confusion only increased, if anything. Was he _that_ into Agni that even little Ciel noticed it? Then a thought crossed his mind. "I think I'd know if I swinged _that_ way, little Ciel." He sighed and grabbed one of the cookies that Tanaka had left them. "It's just… I have been in love with Mina half my life, it is practically impossible for me the thought that I can be in love with someone else. Moreover with someone of my same gender." It wasn't like he was homophobic or anything, even if both societies he had grown in did look down on homosexuality.

Ciel hummed and rearranged his cards. "And have you entertained the thought that maybe you could swing _both_ ways, Kadar?" Soma looked even more baffled.

"You can swing both ways?"

Phantomhive huffed again and set his cards on the table, sure that he was the winner of the round. "Of course you can. It's called 'bisexuality'." He seemed even more infuriated after his next statement. "How else would you explain me having dated both Sebastian and Lizzy? (Not at the same time, of course, that would have been quite disastrous.)"

The college student just let out a surprised 'oh' then looked at his cards. Ciel huffed again before striding out, leaving Soma alone with his thoughts.

Surely he didn't have a _crush_ on Agni, right? It could be anything and maybe little Ciel was wrong.

I mean, he was just really thankful for all the things he had done for him. From staying with him on the café when Sebastian and Ciel ditched them, to going to his dorm to cook him and do chores every day until he got over Mina. It's not like he spent every waking moment thinking about how much of a nice person Agni was, or how nicer it would be if he could hug him, nor did he have a nice, cozy feeling in the pit of—

Oh.

 _Oh._

Well damn him, he was crushing on Agni.

(Needless to say Ciel won that round [both the cards game and the Agni-issue]).

* * *

He had prayed that even with his newfound knowledge his interactions with Agni would be the same as ever. All the gods _knew_ he prayed. Long and hard. But try as he might, when he saw Agni approaching him in the street, the first thing his mind came up was 'wow, I didn't notice that his hair looked really nice…'.

"Is something the matter, Prince Soma?" Asked Agni, the faintest trace of worry im his features. It took the young adult a couple more seconds to snap out of it and think of a proper answer to give to his friend.

"N-no! Of course not! I was just a little surprised, fancy seeing you here." He was incredibly glad his answer wasn't followed by an incredibly awkward laugh. _Very glad and relieved._

Agni frowned a little, if he saw something else on Soma's appearance he didn't comment on it "...uh, I was around here shopping for groceries, mind coming with me?" He brought a small notepad to his face then showed it to Soma. "I was thinking of preparing new recipes, as you might probably get sick of me preparing curry everytime I go to your house…"

Soma was quick to wave his hands -and Agni's worry- off, "oh no, not at all, I don't think I could ever get tired of your cooking!" And how very awkward and creepy and weird that sounded! Way to go, Kadar! This way you'll surely win the inconspicuous Olympics!

Agni chuckled, for whatever reason. Did he find Soma's reactions endearing? Kali, please tell him it was a sign of endearment and not gloating? Why did he reject those behaviour-recognizing classes? "I am humbled to hear Prince Soma enjoys my food so much, but I am sure that even small variations are needed - not only for the sole purpose of enjoyment, but we must also take into account that we need multiple nutrients in order to improve certain aspects in our nutrition."

Soma blinked, trying to make sense of what Agni was saying. "If you say so!" Right then he realized he hadn't answered to his previous invitation. "And of course I'd love to go with you!" He fell into step with him, suddenly his awkwardness gone. And maybe it was because of that he had a crush on him, because he was so gentle, and understanding, and familiar and easy to be with and- "do you have any plans for Saturday?" And it's not like he was _asking him out_ on a _date_ or _anything_ , it was just a friendly outing and surely Agni wouldn't think bad of it and-

"Actually, I do."

Soma tried not to feel too deflated by the rejection, he really did. But just… maybe he was over-excited by the idea of more alone-time with Agni (probably, perhaps, but…). "Oh." He let out a chuckle (this time it _was_ weird, though), and tried to play it off. Cool-ly. "Do you mind it if I ask what it's about?"

Agni eyed him warily again, then adjusted the scarf over his shoulder. It was quite cold, after all. It almost being February and all. "It's nothing, really. It's just that the first Saturday of every month I go to the orphanage to give food and clothes." He tried a kind smile, and fortunately, it seemed to work on his face. Soma's upset-ness also seemed to lessen after his explanation.

"The orphanage?" It's not like he wasn't privy on charity events or- who was he kidding, he wasn't privy to that at all. Selfish as it may sound, he didn't really mind about that kind of stuff thanks to his upbringing (aka: he was raised with money and was never brought to those charity balls his parents had to attend for the sake of their company image, they had Mina to leave him with), so… saying that he was at loss as to what to say was kind of an understatement.

"Yes. It has been a self-imposed custom for the past couple of years, it's just that it was never brought up in our conversations, and it never did make it hard for me to see you."

Suddenly Soma noticed just how much selfish he was. In all their conversations… something like monthly visits to the orphanage was never brought up. Nor Agni's work, nor his parents, nor his life outside anything Soma-related.

Way to go, Soma.

Thus, he tried to be a little less selfish and asked, "would you mind it if I tag along?"

And he felt butterflies in his chest when Agni answered "not at all, I think the children would appreciate someone else to play with."

* * *

They agreed to meet at the Tolworth Post Office somewhere during the afternoon.

Soma started to worry he had arrived late after a couple of minutes of not seeing Agni, and right as he was about to call his phone number (which he had so graciously obtained one afternoon after saying that communication was important), he saw a car parking in front of him.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to arrive, I did bring quite a lot." He opened the co-pilot door and motioned for Soma to get in. Soma just shook his head and got inside the vehicle.

"It's no problem, really. I had arrived a couple of minutes ago and was worried about arriving late or something," it was rather stupid to think so, given that he had arrived almost half an hour early to make sure he didn't mess up the address. "How is the orphanage we're visiting called?"

"Joy Home for Children."

Soma frowned. "Wasn't that an orphanage in India?" Okay, he _might_ have investigated a little about orphanages, and that one popped up first when he browsed 'orphanages in India'.

Agni chuckled a little in amusement, then turned the car wheel a little past Princes Ave into Ladywood Rd. "Joy Home was indeed founded in India by a doctor and her caring husband, but they have another home here in the United Kingdom."

Soma nodded offhandedly and kept staring at the road, digesting the info just given to him. "I see." Now that he thought about it, it _did_ make sense that Agni visited an Indian orphanage.

"Look, we're here." He lifted the hand-break and unbuckled his seat-belt. "Would you mind helping me with these boxes?"

* * *

The place didn't look out of place in contrast with the rest of the houses. It was white, it had a normal-looking roof, and it didn't have a sign or anything that said this was the place. But Agni had said he came here frequently, so he trusted him.

"Ah, Agni, glad to see you here." A woman walked and greeted them, well, Agni for the most part, then seemed to finally notice Soma and… didn't make much of him. "Did you also come to volunteer?" She asked, grabbing a box from Agni's car to help them.

Soma smiled widely and followed his companion. "Yeah, Agni invited me."

* * *

The children loved Agni, that much was obvious by their reaction to his arrival.

They were all squirming around and flocking like little chicks around their mother, which… wasn't an inaccurate description at seeing how Agni was also cooing them.

He served them generous portions of curry with rice, roasted veggies and some rice. "There's more than enough for everyone," he had told them, and smiled when the kids didn't hold back.

Soma didn't do much of anything; the kids eyed him vaguely, as he was only hanging out by the sidelines.

"Prince Soma, can you pass me the box with lassi?" at this interaction, the kids seemed interested in him, and while he was pouring their beverages, they all took turns (sort of) to ask him questions.

"Are you really a prince?" "Do you have an elephant?" "Do you live in a castle?" (At least those were the ones Soma managed to catch.

"Um, no I'm not really a prince, Agni just likes to call me that; yes! But she's back in India because the law wouldn't let us have her here; and no, castles were my great-grandparents thing." he scratched the nape of his neck sheepishly, and glanced at Agni for help.

He was deemed frozen by the fond look on his eyes.

Dear Kali, not only had he fallen, but _hard_.

* * *

"The kids took a liking to you," Agni mentioned once they started packing their stuff back into the boxes. The kids were sent to their schooling room after eating and playing a little with the both of them.

"You think so?" He hoped so, because Agni seemed to like them a lot too.

"Of course. Did the Prince not see a couple of them cling to his back like monkeys?" At this they both laughed, and it was their easy-going interactions that prompted Soma to act boldly.

"Do you have plans for the 14th?" Agni eyed him curiously, and Soma was quick to clarify. "It's just that it would be nice hanging out with a friend on that day, don't you agree?"

Agni smiled that fond smile again, and agreed, "of course".

* * *

I'M NOT DEAD.

You probably thought this thing was on hiatus, but no. :D (I'm sorry it took so long, but school and whatnot)

I was thinking about the fact that I never mentioned when (temporarily speaking), this fic was. Now I'll say that the last part of this chapter was from **February 2nd, 2013**. (I wanted it to be on the same days as February 1889 because reasons)

The amount of last-minute research I did for the orphanage scene is ridiculous. I looked for orphanages in London through Google Maps because I wanted it to be somewhat real, and I just happened to really like the name of that one and I was like "yeah, sure i'll pick this one", then i click the web page and find out it was an orphanage from India. And that nearby there was a (fast food) curry restaurant, and that there was an Avenue nearby called "Princes Ave".

It was like that orphanage was made to be referenced in this fanfic.

anYWAY, I'm not sure if the place does work like an orphanage in the UK, i just needed it for plot purposes.

I'm sorry it's so short, but most of this was written in like, 3 hours. ;;

btw, this is my submission for SomAgni Valentine's day two. ;) Day one is already on my tumblr but for some reason the tagging doesn't work. :')

Next chapter: the 14th! pinky promise!

Matane!


	5. Remembering Agni

❝[...] _in my mind I need_

 _you to be free…_

 _so this is where I leave ya,_

 _sittin' in a palace_

 _covered in gold_

 _inside my head..._ ❞

— _Palace_ ; Hayley Kiyoko.

* * *

Soma was _giddy_.

It was a fairly new emotion, or not so much since he discovered his—admittedly not so secret—crush towards Agni. He had found himself feeling it a lot more lately. And… he didn't particularly dislike it. In fact, if not for the fact that it made him act dumb and make a fool out of himself in front of pretty much _everyone_ , he could enjoy it.

But oh well, one can't have it all.

Or at least that's what he thought as he tried to bring himself back to reality.

"Soma! It's always a delight to see you visiting. Ever since last holidays, you haven't come around much." Soma offered a sheepish smile, a hope to be pardoned by his best female friend.

"Can't say school leaves time for much, now, can I?" he offered, a lame excuse.

Elizabeth straightened her curls, smiled a fond smile back, and opened the door wider. "And where are my manners, come on in!" She gestured towards the inside, on into the Victorian-like décor—actually, everything inside the house looked Victorian-like, even the people, so much it was unnerving!—, he let himself be led to the main room, and sat when told he could.

"And what have you been up to? My brother tells me tidbits here and there when he comes over for the weekend, but you know gossip is not nearly as good when it comes from the original source." Laid on the lap of her frilly dress, Soma can easily make out the shape of her fencing gloves. It would seem as if she was sewing patterns on it, small, delicate flowers to contrast against the strong front she puts when she fights. So much like her.

("Oh, come on, it's not that weird. I just… like girly things."

And yet, the girliest of all was being strong for those she loved.)

"Oh, not much, really. Just been trying to stay afloat on my studies." He shrugged, what was there to tell? Lizzy excused herself to fetch tea and cookies.

Oh, who was he kidding?

When Lizzy came back for refreshments, he tried not to squirm in his seat, trying to think of a way to word his question.

"Say, Lizzy…" she placed the tray on the small table, and proceeded to give him an encouraging smile. The one that said 'go on, I'm listening', which, fortunately, gave him a little confidence. "You are good at wooing boys, yes?" She blinked. Understandably so.

"Uh, I wouldn't say I'm good with them… why the question?" she raised a teacup to her small, doll-like lips, breathing away the steam and taking a careful sip.

Soma mimicked her actions, bringing his own teacup close to himself. "You see… it's a weird situation, really… little Ciel might have said something that… made me realise I have feelings for someone else?"

Lizzy 'uh-huh'ed, trying to think the situation. "And I reckon this someone is a boy?"

Soma shrugged, and mumbled a 'I guess you could say that'. He was beginning to wonder if he shouldn't have gone to Ciel instead. No, little Ciel would have said something like "go figure it out yourself."

Lizzy hummed, and tried to come up with an appropriate response.

"Well, I guess you could take him to the amusement park. A little cliché but everyone likes games, don't they?" She bit one of the sprinkled cookies. "Maybe also take them for dinner? Treating them to their favorite meal is always a nice detail anytime."

For a moment there, Soma felt stupid. Why hadn't he thought of that? It was a fairly easy plan, and maybe not the most romantic thing, but it would do. Probably. Hopefully.

"Thanks a lot, Lizzy!" There were no words, to describe how much this meant to him.

"Now," she set the teacup down. "About this person… tell me all about him!" He grinned, happy his best friend had taken it so well.

Needless to say he stayed for the next couple of hours.

* * *

Operation 'Wooing Agni' had started off quite well.

Soma had taken Agni to the same restaurant they had gone while waiting for Mina's "meeting" to end; it was early afternoon and the restaurant wasn't, thankfully, crowded.

They had had some amiable conversation about how work was and whatnot, the neighbourhood conversations sounding like soft whispers around them. Soma had made sure to ask the waiters to serve Agni whatever he seemed to like best, and if the knowing, small grin from Agni meant anything, Soma took it as a success.

"How would you fancy a trip to Alton Park after this? I know it's a little far, but I heard the view is quite dandy from the skyride, and the lights are, if I say so, brilliant." Soma sipped his mango lassi, attentive to whatever Agni had to say.

Agni chuckled, his voice silkier than Soma ever remembered hearing it, and it took his all to not blush right there and then. "The floor is yours, my prince. I am but your humble servant this day."

This time it was Soma who laughed, amused despite his self-awareness. "You are my _friend_ , so you'll come because you want to, not because of some 'servicial duty' you feel towards me," he rolled his eyes good-naturedly, and felt his knees buckle under the table at the fondness in Agni's eyes.

"Jo Agya, my prince."

* * *

When they arrived, Agni almost started protesting when he realised Soma had bought annual passes for them both. "You shouldn't have spent so much money on me," he pointed out, "I'll probably not come ever again," but Soma only shrugged.

"Maybe today will convince you to use it the rest of the year."

Once booked in, Soma guided Agni through the park. Lots of bright, inviting colors all around, and some people already riding the skyrides. "Would you like to grab a bite somewhere later? I think the restaurants are not half bad." Agni shook his head.

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I don't think spending this much money on me is a good idea." And then they were on the way, enjoying some of the most extravagant rides.

* * *

When evening arrived, Soma guided them to a small compartment in the skyride, and Agni willingly followed suit, glad to see this much enthusiasm in the prince's behaviour. They entered the enclosed space and sat across each other, enjoying the quiet. The mid-February air chilled him to the bone, nonetheless Soma felt his cheeks flare with heat under his scarf every time Agni was acting even the slightest nice and caring.

"I heard they were planning a firework show tonight," Soma said, almost unable to be still in his giddiness. Agni raised an amused eyebrow, though he was still smiling.

"Fireworks?" he questioned, "they are quite uncommon this time of the year. I don't recall any firework show with the exception being New Year's and Bonfire Night…"

Soma shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Yes, well, tonight might just turn out to be a very special night," he answered cryptically.

"'A very special night'? How very mysterious. Care to give me a clue on the occasion?"

Soma looked pensieve for a couple of seconds, humming for a bigger effect. "Oh, I wouldn't know. Maybe because it's Valentine's and there should be a spectacle for the people celebrating it? Just a guess."

"Hmm. If you say so, prince." Agni looked through the window, silent in his awe at the view they had. Soma had been quite right when he described it as "brilliant". The families milling about, the couples enjoying a perhaps-not-so-quiet afternoon, some kids eating pizza… underneath them everyone seemed so little.

While Agni was distracted, Soma lifted his wrist and stared at his watch trying to read it in the dimming light. Good, he still had a couple of minutes.

"Say, Agni." His companion was shaken out of his thoughts by his voice, that soft as it may seem compared to the attractions, was loud and clear to Agni's ears. Perhaps it was the tension of the setting, or his own perception of the person in front of him.

"Yes, prince?" instead of his usual clothing, Agni wore garments more appropriate for cold climate, which included a scarf and a cute, fluffy hat, but Soma could still see his white hair underneath it and wondered if it was as soft as it looked should he decide to run his fingers through it.

"I never did get around to thank you for what you did for me during the winter hols; you didn't have to do anything, you barely knew me, and yet you spent a lot of time trying to make me feel better after what happened with Mina." Agni blinked a couple of times, surprised. Then he began to respond.

"Oh, I did that because I wanted to—"

"Exactly! You _wanted_ to! Which makes what you did for me even more special."

"Prince…"

"Agni, I… I fancy you," there, he said it, it wasn't as romantic as it could be, yet, but he had wanted it out in the open, honest and simple. "You are one of the kindest persons I've ever met, and… I wanted you to know how happy you made me."

 ** _BANG!_**

A flash of red. Quick like a lightning bolt, blinding and an oh so thunderous sound. The fireworks had started.

"Prince…" Agni's sounded strangely subdued, even compared to his normally subdued behaviour, then his face darkened. "I am not a good person," he warned.

Soma frowned, "What are you—?"

 ** _BANG!_**

A flash of red. Quick like a lightning bolt, blinding and an oh so thunderous sound. Someone had broken into the house.

A pain in his earlobe; someone had shot him and missed his head by mere centimetres. Blood was oozing, warm and thick through his cheeks.

 ** _BANG!_ _BANG!_**

"What I mean to say, prince, is that the things I've done… the sins I've committed… even you who in all his mercy gave me a second chance in life would deem me unworthy."

A flash of red. Quick like a lightning bolt, blinding and an oh so thunderous sound. The fireworks were making up shapes in the starless sky.

"Agni…" Soma was on his knees, overcome with an onslaught of memories he didn't remember—couldn't make sense of—having, confusion, so much confusion—

 ** _BANG!_ _BANG!_**

All of a sudden, Agni was in front of him, already willing to take the brunt of the next attack. But they needed to get to safety first, so then began the shoving and the pushing and the pulling to where Soma remembered was a cupboard full of ingredients for that morning's breakfast.

A piece of paper was slipped into his hand, and his eyes widened, what was Agni...

A flash of red. Quick like a lightning bolt, blinding and an oh so thunderous sound. The invader kept firing away. He had already managed a gash in Soma's hand and it hurt so much but he could only worry about—

 ** _BANG!_ _BANG!_ _BANG!_**

A flash of red. Quick like a lightning bolt, blinding and an oh so thunderous sound. The fireworks were fading into cloudy smoke. Only the smallest trace of what they had been remained.

Agni walked closer to the door of their compartment. "I'm so sorry, Soma," the use of his given name was only shadowed by the look on his face; the repentment in his eyes seemed honest enough when he jumped.

"Agni!" Soma leapt to his feet, only held back by the now closed red door. Tears were running down his cheeks like nobody's business.

 ** _BANG!_ _BANG!_ _BANG!_**

A flash of red. Quick like a lightning bolt, blinding and an oh so thunderous sound. He kept banging his bleeding fist on the wooden door, droplets of scarlet blood splashing into his face. It was going to dry soon, and peeling it off would be a nightmare later, but he could only keep pounding and pounding, hard and quick. He _had_ to listen, he thought in his desperation. He hadn't even…

"Please open up, Agni!" He cried, kneeling—

 ** _...bang._**

—and sobbing, and heaving against the door, begging Agni to let him out.

* * *

¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Would you look at that, I made it on February 14… 2019. I'm… really sorry that it took me so long to type this out, but last year I was in… a very bad place and couldn't do much of anything.

I'm sorry this chapter is so short. Despite how much I love this story, I feel like I've dragged this story for far too long and at this point I just want to _finish it_. Not only bc you, the readers, are probably sick and tired of it, but because I have other projects I want to focus on this year. I will only write this and another oneshot for Black Butler before I write no more (unless people like, send requests), but before that, the feeling is "I want it done". Thus, regrettably, the first part of the chapter might feel unnatural and underdeveloped, but I've been working on it for one year and just wanted to end it.

Although Head Above Water's release tomorrow has me very hyped and expectant. ψ(｀∇´)ψ Even after the super duper crazy stuff that has happened in the last three months, 2019 is looking up to me. On another note, you can probably tell I've been reading way too much HP fanfiction lately, so I tried to use more British terms(?). Maybe I'll go over the first four chapters again and edit them, maybe not. I also had to google the firework show thing, and for the sake of plot let's pretend Soma can pay for a firework show(?).

Next chapter is going to be Agni's backstory, first person PoV and scheduled for February 28th, 2019. If I don't make it, expect it sometime in the first two weeks of March. Hopefully it won't suck as much and be twice as long.

Matane!


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